On the ground, truth awaits
by Crystallized Tears
Summary: Bellamy is on the ground, with those from the Bunker. They know a truth he doesn't, one that will change his life yet again ... S5 reunion speculative fic. Again.


**So I saw a comment about the Bellarke reunion. About Bellamy not finding out from Clarke, or actually reuniting. Most theories have led to Madi ... I don't think it will be. And of course that meant I had to neglect all my other duties and write one of the ways it could happen. Naturally.**

 **This was written on my tablet at 1am so apologies for any mistakes! My keyboard doesn't like me much and I'm exhausted.**

 **Tears x**

Bellamy has no idea how it happened. How he got to this point. Truthfully, the past two or three weeks have been little more than a blur to him. One day, in space, observing the ship that appeared in Earth's orbit. The next, on the ground, finding their way to Polis to find his sister.

He doesn't remember how his sister got out from the rubble that is the Polis tower. All he knows is that she's here, in his arms, an embrace he's been craving for more than six years. His little sister is all grown up – a few inches taller, muscles firmer, face sharper. She looks like the warrior she had to become.

It doesn't matter though. What matters is that it's Octavia, and that she is alive and well and above ground with him again. Fixing half of the hole in his heart.

:

It takes a few hours for them to get everybody out and create a temporary camp, never mind get food ready for twelve hundred people. But when they have finally eaten, Bellamy sits on a log near his sister, radio in hand as he awaits a report from Monty and Harper about possible shelter from the soldiers.

Indra is beside Octavia, and Abby opposite them. The very sight of the doctor was enough to reignite the guilt that sat at the bottom of Bellamy's stomach at all times. He hasn't told her about Clarke yet, but then again, she hasn't asked. Does she just assume her daughter was with the others, hunting a safe zone? Does she not care anymore? Has life beneath the floor changed her that much?

Kane is the one who ends up broaching the subject as Indra and Octavia converse quietly. 'How were the journeys to and from the Ring?'

Abby stiffens, and Bellamy's gaze drops. 'Cutting it close,' he answers in the end, unable to look up and meet what he's sure is a judgemental gaze. 'We barely made it up there. But it came at a cost.'

'You left Clarke behind.' Abby's voice is softer than he could have imagined, her face gentle when he looks up at her in surprise. 'She saved you, didn't she?'

He can't do much but nod, emotion he'd long fought climbing up his throat. Voice croaking, he finally responds, 'She did. She sacrificed herself to get the power back on for the rest of us to live.'

He doesn't miss the confused look Abby and Kane share, or the frown that mars Octavia' face. 'Sacrificed?' his sister questions, straightening. 'What are you talking about?'

Was she really not listening? 'Clarke died on Becca's island. Caught in Praimfaya.' The words stick in his throat, only spoken with the venom of self-hatred that brings tears to his eyes. 'I left her alone, and she never made it back. She was left –'

'No, she wasn't.' Octavia cocks her head. 'Do you really not know?'

What?

'Bellamy.' Abby moves, coming to sit beside him on his log. 'Clarke's _alive_. She survived Praimfaya in the lab. Found a green spot and has spent six years living there, waiting for us to be able to join her.' Her grin is brilliant, no hint of a lie anywhere. 'Waiting for _you_.'

'She called to you on the radio every day, big brother.' Octavia shakes her head. 'God, it got a bit sickening there.'

'Wait – wait – how do you know Clarke's alive?' Could it be real? Could he be lucky enough not to have lost her?

Could he let himself hope?

'When the radios came back online a few months after, we picked up a transmission from her.' Abby stretches out a hand, resting it over his. He didn't realise he'd been clenching the radio so tightly until she carefully pulls it from him. 'She was outside. Told us about the rubble. We spent most of our six years trying to find another way out, knowing the door was blocked.

'We lost our transmitter during a rockfall about a year after that, couldn't make any more contact with her.' Abby's eyes turn wistful in remembrance. 'But we could hear her. She panicked, of course, then realised she couldn't just spend what we then thought would be four years camping outside the door. So she moved on. Back to the green space.'

Octavia rolls her eyes. 'And then every day, early afternoon, we'd hear a message from her. Every. Single. Day. Always addressed to you. _I hope you're enjoying the algae up there, Bellamy. I saw the first bird today, Bellamy. Bellamy, why haven't you come down yet? It's been six years, Bellamy_. Ugh.'

Clarke ... had been calling out to him for _six years_ , alive and alone?

Fuck, Clarke had survived?

Abby must be more in tune with him than he thought. The second his muscles tense, her grip tightens, keeping him down. 'She's not nearby. You won't find her tonight.' She shakes her head. 'She was going to check out the prison ship she mentioned coming down the other week. See what she could find out about them. If she doesn't already realise you're on the ground, she'll make her next radio call tomorrow.'

His eyes light up in realisation. 'You now have working radios to reply to her.'

Abby nods, and the promise of tomorrow is enough to get him through the night.

:

He gets Raven, Murphy and Emori into the falling down building a little after midday, radio in hand. Abby had promised him that nobody would interrupt, but they weren't far. Close enough to get if Clarke mentions a problem, far enough away to give them the illusion of privacy.

He hasn't told the others about Clarke's survival, which is why Murphy glares at him from across the small space. They'll know soon enough, he rationalises.

At one twenty-two, the radio connects.

'So it's day two thousand, two hundred and thirty seven. Thirty eight days since the ship first arrived.'

Her voice is unmistakeable. Bellamy's knuckles tighten around the radio, because if he doesn't grip it tight enough to break it, he'll drop it instead. His knees are already going weak with emotion. Beside him, Raven's eyes are wide, mouth dropped open. Murphy and Emori are giving him funny looks.

'I went to check them out last night. They have tech you won't believe. Raven will love it if she gets the chance to see it.' A chuckle, a sound he's been dreaming of for years. 'But they have a crazy amount of weapons, and they want Eden. I could do with that army that's underneath Polis right about now. I've already had to send Madi away to keep her safe. I couldn't risk losing her. Not after having lost everybody else.'

Madi?

Wait. That doesn't matter. What matters is this is Clarke's voice. Live. In this moment. Not a recording, like the few old videos on the Ring.

Clarke is speaking _right now_ , six years after her death, because somehow she didn't die in Praimfaya.

Clarke Griffin fucking _survived_.

He laughs then, the sort of laughter that comes from relief and accompanies tears. Great, fat tears rolling down his cheeks. Raven's are smaller, quiet, but she's definitely crying too, as close to Bellamy and therefore the radio as she can get.

'I wish you could see Eden. Before they end up destroying it – because at this rate, they will. But it's so beautiful.' Clarke continues, still oblivious to the audience se has. Even Murphy's eyes are shining with emotion now, and Emori's taken a few step forward to better hear.

'Anyway. I shouldn't stay in one place for too long, or they'll find me.' He hears her sigh, the sound carrying through the radios connecting them. 'Don't take too much longer, okay? I could do with you down here, although I'm sorry it will be straight back into another war.'

Shit. _Shit_. She's signing off. If he doesn't speak now ...

Raven snatches the radio from his hand before he has a chance to think about to say. 'Really, Griffin? After six years, you're dragging us straight back into a war?' She laughs. 'Good job we have an army from Polis with us.'

There's no immediate answer. Bellamy panics, thinking they were too late – that she switched off before Raven spoke. The two exchange a look, both with red eyes, tears streaming down, before the radio clicks again.

'Please tell me I didn't eat any damn Jobi nuts by accident.'

:

He couldn't speak to her in the end. Raven could barely manage to get information about where exactly Clarke was before she was too far gone with emotion. But the promise of seeing Clarke again – and soon – filled them both with enough vigour to arrange for the Polis army to march towards Eden to confront the prisoners.

After seven long, long hours, they arrive.

The Rover's parked up, just inside the treeline. Bellamy spots it immediately, and with a tap on Raven's elbow, breaks from the pack to head towards it. If Clarke's going to be anywhere, it will the Rover.

His instinct for her is still spot on, he discovers when he rounds the back, yanking open the doors. Because there she is, dozing against the wall, journal open on her lap.

It's Clarke.

 _It's Clarke_.

She's real.

:

He has a gun pressed to his skull in seconds, after he makes the mistake of reaching out to touch her. The barrel is cold against his forehead, and the arm she has wrapped around his neck makes it hard for him to breathe. For far too long, she's prepared to pull the trigger on him as she transition into full wakefulness.

Then she does, and her arm releases suddenly, letting him fall forward onto the floor of the Rover, choking in air. Maybe he could have done that a little better.

'Bellamy?'

Her voice is like music. Perfect. As he pushes himself up to his knees, he turns his head just enough for her to see his face as she kneels behind him. 'Clarke.'

Blue eyes fill with tears, and then her arms are around his neck again – but this time, not in a chokehold. In a hug. He's still facing the wrong way, can't hug her back, so he settles for resting his hands on hers, closing his eyes and just soaking in the warmth on his back.

'I thought I'd lost you,' she whispers into his ear, and he shakes his head.

'Never.'

They're together again. Finally. His impossible dream for six long years has come true.

It's just a shame they don't have the time they deserve to truly relish it, what with the war they're in the middle of.

At least, that can wait until morning. Tonight, Bellamy decides, tonight is a night for them all to reconnect.

A night to be thankful Clarke Griffin is back in his life.

A night to admit to himself how desperately in love with her he was.


End file.
